As Sting and The Police announce they will play their final show in New York City, controversy swirls around The Rainforest Foundation

Yesterday we told you about the Rainforest Foundation Benefit happening tonight. Commenter Nick over at TreeHugger calls our attention to recent criticism of Sting and Trudie Styler’s charitable organization, the Rainforest Foundation, for the percentage of contributions it spends on programs. The philanthropy watchdog, Charity Navigator, reports the Rainforest Foundation spent less than 61 per cent of its revenue for the 2006 fiscal year. Asked Tuesday about the claims against his foundation, Sting noted that in the charity’s 20-year history, it has raised $25 million and spent more than $21 million, or 84 per cent. “That’s a very good record,” he said adding that it is unfair to look at the organization’s yearly expenditures because it operates on a two-year cycle.

When we checked Charity Navigator’s website to explore the Rainforest Foundation’s performance, we found that the historical data available on organizations only goes back until 2004. We leave if for you all to judge and discuss. Also we encourage you to look at some of the projects Rainforest Foundation is doing.

Meanwhile on Tuesday in Times Square, Sting, guitarist Andy Summers and drummer Stewart Copeland said they would donate $1 million to Million Trees NYC.

We have a long history here. We wanted to leave a gift with our last performance that would keep on giving year after year, decade after decade – the gift of trees does do that. We kicked off our very first American tour at CBGB’s in 1978, and this summer, 30 years later, our journey will come full circle as we play our final show here in New York City.

Proceeds from the yet to be scheduled concert will benefit public television.

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cbc.ca: Police play final show in New York where they started 1st American tour

Charity Navigator